2 ACTION ITEMS: FEDERAL CONTROL OF THE INTERNET

Obamacare, the VA scandal, the IRS scandal--these are just a few examples of what happens when we give government huge power without oversight.

It's about to happen again--the Obama Administration is fighting for a government takeover of the Internet and the Federal Communications Commission is going to vote on it February 26th. That's why I am writing you today--I need your help to stop this.

President Obama came out a few weeks ago urging the FCC to vote to regulate the Internet the same way that it regulates public utilities under Title II. What this means is that, for the first time, billions of dollars in fees will be attached to Internet service just like they are to telephone service.

You see, under Title II if someone wants to own a telephone company, there are fees baked into the law--fees companies pass on to customers.

Now, under this new regulatory regime, Internet service providers will be subject to these fees as well, and then pass them on to you, the consumer.

This is essentially a massive tax increase on the middle class, being passed in the dead of night without the American public really being made aware of what is going on.

The Internet is built on speed and dynamism, it’s always changing, there are always new and better ideas that are exploding onto the scene,and part of the reason for that is that innovators are not having to go ask Washington, DC for permission every time they want to do something new.

What this really comes down to is a fundamental question:Who do you want in charge of the direction of the Internet: people at dot-com start ups that brought us game changing companies like Facebook, Google, Twitter, Amazon and Uber; or nameless, faceless, unelected bureaucrats in our nation’s capital?

There is another aspect of this that gets overlooked: the Internet is an incredibly important force for freedom, for liberty, and the rights of free speech that we hold dear. It is an existential threat to tyrants in countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Russia who seek to keep information from their people.

We must preserve the high ground for the United States to stand up to these countries and tell them to keep the Internet free and preserve free speech on the Internet throughout the world. We cannot do that if we are regulating the Internet in a similar manner ourselves.

I am not accusing anyone of sinister motives here, but I am deeply concerned about the idea of any government bureaucrat having the power to tell companies what they can and cannot do. In the long term, this could have a chilling effect on political speech, in ways that today we could not even begin to imagine.

We do not have much time left to stop this gigantic government takeover of the Internet. The FCC is voting on February 26th and the Left is mobilizing to support their effort to do so. We cannot let the conversation be totally one-sided. The FCC needs to hear from us today--not tomorrow or next week or next month. Today.

Please join me and go sign the petition to keep the Internet free. We must stand for liberty and preserve the Internet free of government interference.

In addition to signing the petition in this email, please call your Congressman and U. S. Senator (contact list at bottom of this email). Also, enclosed is a sample letter to FCC Commissioner, but can also be used to write your Senator or Congressman. The FCC is taking comments through Feb. 26th. please ACT NOW and share with your friends.

Dear Chairman Wheeler,Please stand against net neutrality, which is a right to free speech issue. Government will decide who is able to use the internet and what they are able to say. Anyone who disagrees will be targeted, as was the case with the IRS targeting certain groups of people to intimidate and stifle free speech.Additionally,• It will increase taxes on Internet connections, smartphones, and tablets.• It will take away our freedoms on the internet as when government takes over private industry, it destroys what it claims to protect. (health insurance is a perfect example)• It will decrease new business startups on the internet through increased government regulations and discourage private enterprise at a time when too many people are out of work.Most importantly, Congress, as representatives of a free people should be the ones involved in pretecting our right to freedom of the internet. I will be calling my Senator and Congressmen to urge them to defund those agencies who wish to destroy freedom of speech which is a right guaranteed to all Americans in The Bill of Rights.

Please vote against Net Neutrality.• It will increase taxes on Internet connections and smartphones and tablets• It will take away our freedoms on the Internet as when government takes over private industry, it destroys it (health insurance is a perfect example)• It will decrease new business start ups on the Internet with increased government regulationsI have decided that I will withdraw my support and my vote from any Senators or Representatives who vote for Net Neutrality. I will also support the opponents of those Senators or Representatives who vote for Net Neutrality.I hope you will respect the views of your constituents and ensure that Net Neutrality does not pass.

Please vote against Net Neutrality.• It will increase taxes on Internet connections and smartphones and tablets• It will take away our freedoms on the Internet as when government takes over private industry, it destroys it (health insurance is a perfect example)• It will decrease new business start ups on the Internet with increased government regulationsI have decided that I will withdraw my support and my vote from any Senators or Representatives who vote for Net Neutrality. I will also support the opponents of those Senators or Representatives who vote for Net Neutrality.I hope you will respect the views of your constituents and ensure that Net Neutrality does not pass.

Dear Ajit Pai,Federal Communications CommissionAjit.Pai@fcc.gov

Please vote against Net Neutrality.

It will increase taxes on Internet connections and smartphones and tablets

It will take away our freedoms on the Internet as when government takes over private industry, it destroys it (health insurance is a perfect example)

It will decrease new business start ups on the Internet with increased government regulations

I have decided that I will withdraw my support and my vote from any Senators or Representatives who vote for Net Neutrality. I will also support the opponents of those Senators or Representatives who vote for Net Neutrality.

I hope you will respect the views of your constituents and ensure that Net Neutrality does not pass.

It will increase taxes on Internet connections and smartphones and tablets

It will take away our freedoms on the Internet as when government takes over private industry, it destroys it (health insurance is a perfect example)

It will decrease new business start ups on the Internet with increased government regulations

I have decided that I will withdraw my support and my vote from any Senators or Representatives who vote for Net Neutrality. I will also support the opponents of those Senators or Representatives who vote for Net Neutrality.

I hope you will respect the views of your constituents and ensure that Net Neutrality does not pass.

WHO IS THE FCC?

The FCC is directed by five commissioners appointed by the president of the United States and confirmed by the U.S. Senate for five-year terms, except when filling an unexpired term. The president designates one of the commissioners to serve as chairman. Only three commissioners may be members of the same political party, and none can have a financial interest in any commission-related business.

Tom Wheeler| ChairmanTom Wheeler was sworn in as the 31st Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission on November 4, 2013. Chairman Wheeler was appointed by President Barack Obama and unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate.

Mignon Clyburn | CommissionerMignon Clyburn served as Acting Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission, following her appointment by President Barack Obama on May 20, 2013. She was nominated for her first term as Commissioner on June 25, 2009 and sworn-in on August 3, 2009. As Commissioner, she is serving a second term for which she was sworn in on February 19, 2013.Bio | Staff | Speeches | Statements | Twitter | Email | Blog

Jessica Rosenworcel | CommissionerJessica Rosenworcel was nominated for a seat on the Federal Communications Commission by President Barack Obama and on May 7, 2012 was confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate. On May 11, 2012, she was sworn in.Bio | Staff | Speeches | Statements | Editorials | Twitter | Instagram | Email

Ajit Pai | CommissionerAjit Pai was nominated to the Federal Communications Commission by President Barack Obama and on May 7, 2012 was confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate. On May 14, 2012, he was sworn in for a term that concludes on June 30, 2016.Bio | Staff | Speeches | Statements | Editorials | Twitter | Email

Michael O’Rielly | CommissionerMichael O’Rielly was nominated for a seat on the Federal Communications Commission by President Barack Obama on August 1, 2013 and was confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate on October 29, 2013. He was sworn into office on November 4, 2013.

ACTION ITEM #2

Please call/email/Fax our US Senators and Congressmen on this issue in addition to signing this petition. Many Congressmen are unaware that Obama is once again bypassing Congress on this free speech issue via regulatory agency to stifle dissent. If you value free speech with the internet, NOW is the TIME TO ACT!

If you live in another state outside Florida, please click here to obtain your state info.

You can’t demonstrate the dangers of President Obama’s plan to regulate the internet and reclassify broadband as a Title II common carrier more clearly than this video, courtesy of Sen. Ted Cruz.

Cruz said on his website that the Obama administration is trying to impose 1934 rules on the Internet, which will stifle innovation. “The FCC’s net neutrality plan will drive up the cost of consumer Internet plans, impose billions of new taxes on the Internet, and allow a panel of five unelected bureaucrats to regulate and control every aspect of the Internet,” Cruz said.FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai, one of two Republicans on the unelected board, held a press conference earlier this week to warn about the dangers of the 332-page plan that will not be released to the public until after the FCC’s vote on February 26“ The American people are being misled about President Obama’s plan to regulate the Internet,” Pai said. “Last week’s carefully managed rollout was designed to downplay the plans of a massive intrusion in the Internet economy.”

“I have now read the 332 page plan. It is worse than I had imagined,” said Pai.

He warned that reclassifying broadband would open the door to new internet taxes and intrusive regulations and would give the FCC “broad and unprecedented discretion to micro-manage the internet.”

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THESE TWO ACTION ITEMS.

GOD BLESS YOU AND MAY GOD BLESS OUR AMERICA

Note: The majority of this information came via a communication from Senator Mike Lee.